Liquid fuel placement and mixing of generic aeroengine premix module at different operating conditions

Abstract

Fuel placement and air-fuel mixing in a generic aeroengine premix module employing plain jet liquid fuel injection into a counter-swirling double-annular crossflow were investigated at different values of air inlet pressure (6 bar, 700 K and 12 bar, 700 K) and liquid-to-air momentum flux ratio, both parameters being a function of engine power. Kerosene Jet A-1 was used as liquid fuel. Measurement techniques included LDA for investigation of the airflow and Mie-scattering laser light sheets and PDA for investigation of the two-phase flow. Measurements were taken at various axial distances from the fuel nozzle equivalent to mean residence times of up to 0.47 ms. It was found that the initial fuel placement reacts very sensitively to a variation of liquid-to-air momentum flux ratio. Susceptibility of the spray to dispersion due to centrifugal forces and to turbulent mixing is primarily a function of the fuel droplet diameters, which in turn depend on operating pressure. The data are interpreted by evaluation of the corresponding Stokes numbers.